Do public speaking better

The first 30 seconds are crucial when giving a presentation, says Graham Shaw.

When it comes to doing a presentation it's critical to captivate your audience – especially within the first 30 seconds. In order to do this, you should use attention-grabbers – something that can capture the interests of who you are speaking to. By linking the attention grabber to your message, you can maximise its impact.

But why is it necessary to captivate your audience in the first 30 seconds? There are several reasons. To begin with, your actions within that time can greatly influence an audience’s perception. That audience is also likely to remember what's first, as well as what's different.

On top of that, use of the aforementioned attention-grabbers can create excitement, concern and astonishment.

Creating a link to your topic from the attention-grabber is key and prevents any unnecessary confusion. For example, you could do a magic umbrella trick during your presentation, but while it may capture the attention of your audience, it may leave them slightly confused if there is not an explicit link.

There are many attention-grabbers available to use. Some relate to the use of facts and statistics, others relate to how you speak to your audience. Here are five examples.

Make people sit up and listen by stating an amazing fact or statistic. For example, at TED 2014 investigative reporter David Epstein opened his talk with an Olympic-related fact.

“The winner of the 2012 Olympic marathon ran two hours and eight minutes,” said Epstein. “Had he been racing against the winner of the 1904 Olympic marathon, he would have won by nearly an hour and a half”.

Much like Epstein, you should make your fact or statistic jaw-dropping. Another example can be seen in Susan Pinker’s talk at TED 2017, where she used two facts and the promise of a third in the first 30 seconds.

“Here’s an intriguing fact,” said Pinker. “In the developed world, everywhere, women live an average of six to eight years longer than men do.”

She follows with a second fact: “In 2015, The Lancet published an article showing that men in rich countries are twice as likely to die as women are at any age.”

Pinker finishes with the previously mentioned promise of a third fact, stating that there is one place in the world where men live as long as women – Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean.

Using a sequence of related facts or statistics enables you to grab attention and then build further interest.

A prop can also be a good way of capturing the attention of audiences. It could be an item of equipment; it could be used to demonstrate something like a technique or process; or it could be an item that's passed around, like a sample of a new product.

In his talk at the TEDSummit in 2016, Edward Boyden, a neuroengineer at MIT, used a baby’s nappy. Boyden picked up the nappy and explained that it was made from a material that could swell up to 1,000 times in volume.

He then linked the nappy to brain research. At MIT, Boyden and his colleagues wondered if they could physically enlarge a brain – much like the nappy – to see things like biomolecules. Should it be possible to expand brains donated to science, Boyden believes it would be possible to gain a better understanding of disorders such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. The prop not only grabbed the attention of the audience, but it was memorable.

In my TEDxHull talk, I claimed that I could teach the audience to draw cartoons. This grabbed their attention, mostly because most people in the audience did not think they could draw.

The way you make a claim can make a difference. For example, stating “there is one thing that will make you more influential” grabs the attention of the audience. As does “you can boost your fitness level in just 10 minutes a day”.

In your talks, think about what you could claim at the start that would get the attention of your audience. It doesn't have to be overdramatic or true, but must be something of value to the audience – phrase your claim in a compelling way.

The first line of your presentation can really hook people. For example, “last year, I had an experience that changed my life”. At the start, even though people don't know how the story relates to your talk, they'll go with it because they know its purpose will be revealed.

According to research from the University of California, Davis, being curious about a topic helps us to remember it. Perhaps more surprisingly, researchers found that when participants were in a curious state, they could also recall unrelated information.

Matthias Gruber, the study’s co-author and cognitive neuroscientist at the university, said: “Curiosity may put the brain into a state that allows it to learn and retain any kind of information, like a vortex that sucks in what you are motivated to learn, and also everything around it.”

Curiosity about one thing helps people remember other things too.

Rhetorical questions don’t require answers, but they do get people thinking, as seen in talks given by author Simon Sinek and Robert Waldinger.

In Sinek’s 2009 talk fromTEDxPugetSound on how great leaders inspire action, he opens with a rhetorical question: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions? For example: why is Apple so innovative?”

As you can see, Sinek builds on anticipation before revealing what he has discovered.

During his talk at TEDxBeaconStreet, Waldinger’s opener also builds on anticipation. “What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life?” he asks. “If you were going to invest in your future best self, where would you put your time and energy?”

He continues to build curiosity beyond the 30-second mark, and then concludes his opening with two more rhetorical questions: “But what if we could watch entire lives as they unfold through time? What if we could study people from the time that they were teenagers all the way into old age? We did that.”

By this time, the audience is hooked and motivated to hear what comes next. There are several great rhetorical questions that you can use to create curiosity, including:

• “Have you ever wondered…”
• “Has it occurred to you…”
• “Why do people…”

You should not only use rhetorical questions at the start of your talk, but also throughout your talk. Much like using them at the start, using them throughout will keep the audience hanging on your every word.

Write down three ideas to grab attention that you could relate to your talk. Choose the idea that you feel is best and plan how you will introduce it.

Watch the aforementioned TEDx talks by Simon Sinek and Robert Waldinger to learn more about how rhetorical questions work in practice.

Write six rhetorical questions to create curiosity at the start of your next presentation. Choose the best and include them in your introduction.

Rehearse what you'll say in the first 30 seconds for a confident start.

A fear of public speaking can make presentations difficult. But, as Lindsay Maclean shows, there are ways of facing your fear and delivering a great talk.

A recent study by Jobsite found that a third of British employees would reject their ‘dream job’ if it meant facing their biggest fear. For 67% of those surveyed, their biggest fear was public speaking. A further 56% said they had avoided applying for certain jobs because of public speaking being a requirement for a job. This can hold us back in business.

Building trust and connecting with other people is important for progression. When we connect with others and we’re trusted, we’ve got a better chance of getting the job, being heard in a presentation, winning the pitch or being visible in a meeting. People trust others who are natural and authentic. When we get an idea of the real person behind the content we connect to the content.

However, when you are faced with a sea of eyes staring at you and hanging on your every word, you might find it difficult to be natural and authentic. You might get scared. Your body language and voice could reveal a lack of confidence and credibility, as well as give people a completely wrong impression of you. Consequently, you could miss out on opportunities.

We are human beings made up of vulnerabilities and there’s nothing wrong with being scared of presenting. I know what it feels like, because I used to be. And there is nothing wrong with fear; in fact, it’s quite useful. However, learning how to manage this fear can make a big difference to your outcomes.

I believe that learning how to speak in public helps to define us. It also helps other people to understand our viewpoints, to hear us and see who we are. If we avoid this, we are always open to other people’s assumptions and misinterpretations.

A presentation is an opportunity for you. Sometimes we just need a little help. And with these tips, you can be better at speaking.

Be really clear on your intention for speaking. Before any presentation, identify what you want your audience to feel and do both during and after your talk. Think about that one intention. Why are you speaking? Do you want to inspire them with your idea? Do you want to influence their thoughts? If your intention is clear you’ll feel more confident, energised and inspired, and you’ll build a stronger connection with your audience.

I love Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk, which encourages listeners to do some “power posing”. By this, Cuddy means putting your shoulders back and chest out. Imagine a piece of string attached from the top of your head to the ceiling and get yourself into a powerful position before any challenging situation – interview, networking, presentation or meeting. Cuddy's research indicates that by doing this for two minutes you can increase your testosterone levels and walk into challenging situations feeling more powerful. Many years in this industry tells me this works! One thing I would say is that you should practice in the mirror some time so you don’t end up imitating a pumped-up superhero in the interview.

Keep it conversational. Imagine you’re talking to a friend. Remember you are speaking to other human beings. Many adopt a robotic persona when they present because they get nervous or take themselves too seriously. An audience will always respond better and listen more if you’re personable and reveal human emotion. Creating a closer connection will feed your confidence while you speak.

Don’t fight them. Just use them wisely. This was a turning point for me as I learned that I got better results by letting the nerves in rather than fighting and pretending they weren’t there. If you feel the nerves at the start, take a deep breath and smile. Do this if you make a mistake too. Your body may feel restricted by nerves, so make a conscious effort to loosen yourself up. Imagine that you have balloons under your arms. If you hold your upper arms tightly against your body (something people naturally do when they are presenting) you are in danger of looking like a flight attendant delivering safety instructions. Instead, throw the nerves out to the audience through your arms, hands and fingers. People forget to use their hands when they present, which looks unnatural and stiff. So this is a brilliant way to make sure you are always using your arms and hands as well as channelling those nerves.

Other elements – such as body language and the sound of your voice – are important. So, if you’ve only prepared your content and haven’t paid attention to how you look and sound when under pressure, you’re often wasting time. Practice mindful pausing and placing emphasis on what you are saying. Also practice raising your energy levels more than you think you should. Recording yourself and watching the video back also helps. Practicing and understanding your impact will give you a boost of confidence.

Always keep presentations simple. Avoid using Powerpoint slides and scripts unless you absolutely must. If you have to use slides, use fewer words and more images. To remind you of your points, make cue cards to use and either hold them or put them down at the side, next to your glass of water.

What do you do when it goes wrong? If you mess up, smile, laugh and keep very present. Human beings always make mistakes. No one is perfect. Many people fear social judgement and worry that everyone will think they are stupid if they make a mistake. That’s simply not true. An audience is more forgiving and will relate, so don’t dwell and keep going.

In everyday life, we don’t speak in bullet points, do we? For example, when we go on holiday, we don’t come back and say: "France, skiing, fun". If I spoke like that, you’d think I was really boring to go on holiday with and generally weird. So why do we think speaking at people in bullet points during a presentation is a good idea? It’s not. If you can use stories in your presentations and bring it to life with analogies and examples, you’ll take your audience on a journey and they’ll sit up and listen. A story provides emotion – this is what people connect with. Plan your stories rather than listing facts.

Never underestimate the importance of eye contact. Many people find this incredibly hard when they are under pressure. Force yourself to look people in the eye from the beginning; this will help you feel comfortable and your audience engage with what you’re saying. If you stare at one spot above people or look at the floor you simply will not connect with your audience.

Smiling is infectious. When we see someone yawn, it can prompt us to also yawn. It’s the same with any facial expression – what we see is often what we mirror. If you smile, others will be more inclined to smile. Keep smiling, give it your best, it will be over soon and you’ll feel really satisfied.

When it comes to speaking in public: go for it.

Download PDF version:

• Business & Management magazine, Issue 275, June 2019 (pp.8-11)

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